Pliers, etc.



Sept. 27, 1932. i.1. J. PALo'rcE PLIERS, ETG

Filed Feb. 18; 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m. N .www

J MM VQ.

Patented Sept. 27, 1932 JOHN J. BALOTCE, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO runas, nro.

applicati@ med February 1s, 1931. serial No. 516,714.

This invention is a novel improvement in pliers, tongs, tweezers, and the like, such as shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,772,428 issued tome on August 5, 1930; and the objects of the invention are broadly to provide improved means for automatically locking the jaws in engagementwith the work in any position of the handles; also to provide manually operable means for releasing theY locking means when itis desired to open the locked jaws; also means for maintaining the releasing means ineffective; also to provide a combination tool of the plierV type carrying on one of the handles a pivoted hammerhead adapted to be swung from inoperative position between the handles into various operative positions with respect to the axis of the vtool and retained in such position thereby permitting the tool tobe used asan ordinary hammer when the handles are drawn together and locked. j j v A further object is to provide a combined reamer, pliers, `wire-cutter, screw driver Aand hammer into a single compact, substantially symmetricaltool. Y

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrates several practical embodiments thereof to enable others to adopt and use the same; land will summarize in theclaims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protectionv is desired.

ln said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side el-evation, partly in section, showing the preferred form of my invention; and indicating various positions of the hammer head. if

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22,1Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3,-3,`Fig.'1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line'4-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly. in section, showing a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a section on the'` line 7 7, Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an endlelevation of the pliers showing the hammer tive position.

head in folded inopera-' My invention is illustrated in connection with a pair of pliers having work engaging jaws A, A preferably of the reamer type having reaming cutters A on their outer surfaces, saidV jaws being operated by cross-handles B and C, pivoted at D,'the handles being normally yieldably urged to open the jaws by a springE interposed between the handles adjacent pivot D. Jaws A, Amay if de- Sired be provided with opposed wire cutting blades A2. My invention however is not to be limited to use on pliers of the type vherein illustrated, for obviously same may be readily adapted for use in connection with other types ofpliers, tongs, tweezers, and various other gripping tools.

s shown one of the handles, B, is provided with a pivoted arcuate tongue 1 extending through a slot 2 in the thickened in depth as at C adjacent the slot. Slot 2 is provided with an arcuate rear wall 2a lying adjacent the outer periphery of tongue 1, and with a forwardly inclined front wall 2b forming an upwardly Haring recess with the inner periphery of the arcuate tongue 1, the lowerV endV of the inclined wall 2b of slot 2 terminating adjacent the inner periphery of the tongue. A wedging ball 3 is contained in the slot 2, operated in grooves la: and 20 in the tongue 1 and inclined wall 26 of slot'2 respectively, said ball 3 beingr normally Yyieldably urged downwardly into wedging position at the lower end of the slot against the inner periphery of arcuate tongue 1 by means of a flat spring 4 interposed between the ball 3 and a removable plate 6 on the upper face of the handle C covering the slot 2, the cover plate 6 beingprovided with an opening for the passage of the arcuate tongue 1 therethrough. U

Manually operable means are also vprovided for raising andthereby releasing ball 3 other handle C, said handle C being preferably materially 7 from locking engagement, the particular fmeans shown in Figs. 1-4` inclusive comprisinga wedge bolt member 9 slidably mounted in a bore extending through the enlarged v portion C of'handle C below the ball 3. said bolt 9 also extending through an elongated j slot 1b (Fig. 4) in the tongue 1 and into` a recess in the inclined wall of the slot 2. The outer wedge shaped end 9a of bolt 9 is tapered downwardly to underlie the ball 3 as shown in Fig. 1. lVhen the bolt 9 is moved forwardly (or to the left, Fig. 1) the outer wedge shaped end 9a will raise ball 3 against the action of spring 4 out of'lowered wedging position and maintain the ball raised so that handles B and C may be operated freely without permitting ball 3 to lock the handles; but if bolt member 9 is moved rearwardly (or to the right, 1) the wedge shaped end 90: will be retracted so as to release ball 3 and permit the ball to drop into wedging position assisted by the spring 4. For operating the bolt member 9 I preferably provide a trigger 7 vpivotally mounted as at 7 a on a stud 10 tapped into the portion C below the end of bolt member 9, said trigger 7 having a slotted hinged connection with the end ofL the bolt member 9 so that a pull rearwardly on thetrigger will shift bolt 9 to hold the ball 3'in raised position, and a forward push on the trigger will release the ball.

Means are also provided for yieldably retaining the bolt member 9 in adjusted position, which means, as illustrated in Figs. 1-4 inclusive consists of a spring 11 housed in a bore 11a extending down through the enlarged portion C of the handle C and communicating with the bore or the wedge-shaped bolt member 9. In the lower end ofthe bore 11a I place a ball 12 seating upon 'the bolt member 9 (Fig. 1) said ball 12 being urged downwardly by spring 11 into frictional engagement with the bolt member 9 to yieldably hold the member 9 in any'position to which thelatter is adjusted.` The spring 11 is retained in-its bore 11a by the cover member 6.

In operation, if it is desired that the pliers shall retain their grip upon the work which is gripped in the jaws A-A, the trigger 7 should be pushed forwardly to shift the bolt member 9 away from the arcuate tongue 1 so as to permit the ball 3 to drop into lowered position.. Ball-12 will then slide along the inner periphery of tongue 1 as the handles B and C are being closed tog-ether, but if attempt is made to open the handles the ball 3 will immediately wedge between the inclined wall 2b of the recess and the arcuate tongue `1 and thus prevent opening of the handles until the wedge-shaped bolt 9 has been shifted forwardly by trigger 7 sufficiently to raise ball 3 out of wedging contact'as hereinbefore explained.

In Figs. 5, 6, 7, a modification is illustrated, ofthe means for raising and releasing ball 3 from its locking engagement. In this modification the trigger member 7 itself extends into slot 2 and underlies the ball 3, the trigger 7 beingpivotallymounted upon a pin 7a journaled between the walls of a slot C2k inthe lower end of enlarged portion Czof' handle'C, said slot C2 extending intogthe yslot 2. A trip 7 b is provided for trigger 7 ball 3 raised out of locking position. When the trigger 7 is pushed forwardly then the -ball 3 will be urged downwardly by spring 4 to bind or wedge between the inclined wall 2b of slot 2 and the inner periphery of the arcuate tongue 1. In this modification the tongue 1 need not beslotted as the ball operating means does not extend through the tongue.

Hence, if it is desired that the pliers shall retain their grip upon the work held in the jaws A-A, the trigger 7 should be set so that the ball 3 will slide along the inner periphery `of tonguel 1 as the handles B, C are being closed together, butlif attempt is made to open the handles the ball 3 will immediately wedge between the inclined wall 2b and the arcuate tongue 1 and thus prevent opening of the handles -until the trigger 7 has been shifted sufficiently to raise ball 3 out of wedging contact.

The outer end of handle C is preferably formed with an edge C3 adapted to be utilized as a screw-driver. The outer end of the handle B is provided with an offset disk like portion B3 (Fig. 8) adapted to enter the bifurcated. end 8a of a hammer head 8 pivoted as at `8b on the disk portion B3, whereby the hammer 8 may be swung from inoperative position (shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 5 parallel with and between the handles B and C) into the operative positions shown in dotted lines. Vhen the hammer head 8 is in'use the handles B and G', must of course be locked in fully closed position by the ball 3. The hammer hea-d 8 is yieldably retained in any of the positions shown inFigs. 1 and 5 by means of a bolt 8c sliding in a bore 8d in hammer 8, said bolt 80 being normally urged outwardly by a coiled spring 8e so as to enter notches B4 in the periphery of disk like portion B3. Other locking means for the hammer head may be employed.

l I do not limit my invention to the exact forms shown in the drawings for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

Ifclaimz- 1. A tool having gripping jaws and operating handles, one of the handles having a slot having an inclined wall; a tongue on the other handle extending through said slot; a ball in the slot adapted to wedge against the tongue; means for yieldably urging the ball into wedging position; and a pivoted trig- CII ger whereby when the trigger is actuated the ball will be held out of wedging engagement with the tongue; and yieldable means for maintaining the triggerin adjusted position.

2. In a tool as set forth in claim l, a wedge shaped member underlying the ball and slidably mounted in a bore in the handle, said member extending through a slot in the tongue; and said trigger operating the member.

3. A tool having gripping jaws and operating handles, one of the handles having a slot; a tongue on the other handle sliding in said slot; a ball in the slot adapted to normally wedge against the tongue to prevent separation of the handles; and trigger means entering the slot and engaging the ball adapted when operated to hold the ball out of wedging position.

4. In a tool as set forth in claim 3, said tongue having a slot; and a wedge operated by the trigger underlying the ball and slidably mounted in a bore in the handle, said wedge extending through the slot in the tongue.

5. In a tool as set fort-h in claim 3, said trigger means entering the slot and underlying the ball whereby as the trigger is actuated the ball will be lifted; and a member yieldably engaging the trigger for maintainlng same in adjusted position.

JOHN J. PALOTCE. 

